ZOOLOGICAL DEPARTMENT. 125 



in Monroe County, now only a migrant, found a nest behind loose bark of a tree in 

 1865" (Jerome Trombley); "rather common in Kent County in summer and at Macki- 

 nac Island" (S. E. White); "common at Iron Mountain" (E. E. Brewster); "common 

 in November at Au Sable " (N. A. Eddy, O. and O., Vol. IX, p. 91); breeds; nests, 

 between loosened V^ark and tree" (Dr. A. K. Fisher); "under bark of stub thirty feet 

 high in Ottawa County" (Dr. M. Gibbs); see Davie's Nests and Eggs of North American 

 Birds, p. 410; in May; eggs five to eight, white, specked with brown. This bird 

 climbs spirally up tree trunks. 



Family PARID.E. Nuthatches and Tits. 



Food insects and insects' eggs; they creep up tree trunks and along limbs much as 

 do the Sapsuckers and Creepers, except they usually go downwards head foremost 

 as they hunt for their food. They are exceedingly valuable birds. • 



Subfamily SITTIN^I^. Nuthatches. 



Genus SITTA Linn. 



318-727 (57). Sitta caroiiueiisis i^af/i. *White-bkeasted Nuthatch; Tomtit; 

 White-bellied Nuthatch. 

 Common; throughout the entire state; every month of the year; "common at Ann 

 Arbor" (Dr. J. B. Steere); " Au Sable" (N. A. Eddy); "never seen at Iron Mountain, 

 Upper Peninsula" (E. E. Brewster);' "Mackinac Island" (S. E. White); breeds; 

 nests in April; nests usually made in ready formed holes in trees from ten to fifty feet 

 from the ground ; eggs four to eight, rarely nine or ten, white to roseate, specked with 

 brown; this bird is often seen creeping down trees head foremost; will place acorns 

 containing weevil grubs in some cavity in bark to hold them secure and then pick out 

 the delicate tit-bit. 



Red-bellied Nuthatch, natural size. 



319-728-(5t)). Sitta canadensis Linn. -Red-breasted Nuthatch; Red-bellied 

 Nuthatch; Canada Nuthatch. 

 Rather rare; more common north; " rare fall and spring migrant in Monroe County, 

 none remaining to breed " (Jerome Trombley); " rare in Wayne County " (B. H. Swales); 

 "common during migration" (E. L. Moseley); " rarely seen at Ann Arbor" (Dr. J. B. 

 Steere); "does not breed at Plymouth " (J. B. Purdy); " very common at Iron Mount- 

 ain in the Upper Peninsula" (E. E. Brewster); "Keweenaw Point" (Kneeland); 

 "abundant at Mackinac Island, and occurs in winter in vast flocks, in Upper Penin- 

 sula, in Iron County " (S. E. White) ; " breeds " (Dr. M. Gibbs); nests and eggs as in the 

 preceding species except that the eggs are slightly smaller; we find this more rare here 

 than the preceding species. 



